Service & Learning

Supporting our Community
Near & Far in 2005-2006
Hurricane Katrina $14,122.00 raised by Secondary students for Baptist school in Slidell, Louisiana, devastated by Hurricane Katrina
Haiti School for Orphans $6800.00 raised by MEI Middle
$7042.00 raised by MEI Elementary
African Children's Choir (Uganda) $322.25 in cash and hockey bag full of school supplies raised by MEI Middle
30-hr Fast $6250.00 raised by MEI Middle for Thailand, Ukraine, Mexico, & Argentina Spring Missions teams to apply to a local need at destination.
Mexico Mission $1000.00 raised by MEI Chilliwack's grade 9 class for a needy family, as part of their spring break Missions Trip to Mexico.
Missions 12 Class

Missions 12 is a half-year, Bible elective designed for those who want to put into practice the things they have been taught in previous Bible courses. The "hands on" nature of the class enables students to risk sharing their faith in Jesus with both friends and complete strangers.Service Learning

The course outline includes: Worship... how it relates to Missions; Foundations of Missions... what does the Bible say?; Discipleship and Missions; Steps towards effective prayer ministry; Hearing God's voice and practicing spiritual disciplines; The Church, its call to Missions, and how MEI can participate; and Cross cultural missions.

Outreach opportunities vary: Seabird Island First Nations Band, Lifeline Ministries in Vancouver, the Youth For Christ double-decker bus, Love Abbotsford a various "Kindness Evangelism" activities.

Historical Overview - MEI Missions

MEI's Missions program had its birth in 1995, when a group of teachers initiated a trip to Haiti with a group of 17 MEI students. The trip was coordinated and led by John Neufeld (MEI parent). This was the beginning of a long-term relationship with Heart-to-Heart in Grande Goave, Haiti.

In that inaugural trip, staff and students provided each of their respective costs through personal contributions and fundraising. The following year, a trip was attempted but did not materialize due to lack of chaperones.

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1997 Missions Participants

The next year (1997), after some structural adjustments, administration and several interested teachers approached the student body again and drew well over 100 interested students to their organizational meeting. Approximately ¼ of funds needed were raised through communal fundraising - Telephone campaign, Entertainment Book sales, & Spring Drama ticket sales. In the first years, some Board dollars were also applied ($300.00 per team from the Travel Fund), however, in the latter years, this has not been necessary.

During the first years, there was opposition to these Missions trips from some quarters. The program was carried by a nucleus of teachers willing to give up their Spring Breaks, as well as a number of non-staff individuals (alumni & parents), without whom some of the trips would not have been possible. Gradually, the program has become accepted by our staff, and has enjoyed the support of our Board. Several staff members have been faithful supporters in that they have given up their Spring Breaks almost every year. Other staff members have declined after one or two trips because of family obligations. Again, without non-staff participation, many trips would not have been possible, and certainly, the impact of this program on our school would have been affected. Those chaperones recruited from outside the school have, in many cases, given up personal holiday time away from their families, and in some cases, have also given up income (in the case of self-employed individuals).

We are committed to using MEI teaching staff as much as possible, and beyond that, adults who are gifted in relating to young people and have a passion for Missions. An application process is in place, following models already used by other Missions agencies.

One of the goals of Missions & Service is to include all students at all four schools, providing service opportunities, regardless of age. Service has become one of the trademarks of the MEI schools, and hopefully, a growing number of students at MEI will become involved in some way in this program. It has been our experience already that some students have enrolled at MEI for the express purpose of participating in Spring Missions. To date, almost 600 students have participated in MEI Missions. Records show that several students have been involved each of their five years at MEI, serving first on the Intercessory Team and then, when their age allowed, also on teams that traveled out-of-province.

Becoming a Missions Donor

You may designate your gift to any aspect of our Missions & Service program. For more specific information, contact MEI. All gifts of $10.00 or more will be receipted. Please ensure that a mailing address is included with your donation. Your support is both appreciated and needed.

You may donate by:

Foods 12 Students Serving at the Gleaners

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